13/02/2026
This information is direct from the WDC website
Travel and roading updates
Traffic access - Kaiikanui Road
If you’re a non-resident heading to Ōakura, Bland Bay or the Whangaruru Peninsula, please use SH1 and the Opua ferry — this is the safest and preferred route.
A detour through Kaiikanui Road is only intended for essential travel and local residents.
The road is narrow, gravel, and affected by slips and is not suitable for caravans, boat trailers, trucks or general holiday traffic.
Two pilot vehicles are running continuous, guided access between 7:00am and 6:00pm, and delays are expected. The road is open access at other times, but extreme caution is advised.
Northbound pilot from 7:00am onwards from Kaiikanui / Pigs Head departure point, until 6:00pm depending on traffic volumes.
Southbound pilot from 7:00am onward, leaving from the end of seal on Webb Road, until 6:00pm depending on traffic volumes.
Our top priority is safety, and we will continue to monitor this route carefully. We appreciate your understanding while these measures remain in place. We’ll update you as the situation changes.
Whangārei to Ōakura Beach via Kaiikanui Road: 55km, 1hr 15mins (plus waiting time for pilot vehicles).
Travel information via SH1 / SH11
We are urging the public to use the northern access route into Ōakura, by following SH1 / SH11 via Opua car ferry and Russell Whakapara Road (Whangārei to Ōakura Beach via this route; 116km, 2hrs 30 min).
While an alternate route is available via a turnoff just north of Kawakawa, this road is narrow, partly gravel and requires extreme caution.
